The Bombardment of Rotterdam
On May 14 1940, the German air force (luftwaffe) flew over Rotterdam and bombed the city. The strike was part of Germany's efforts to break Dutch resistance during the first year of the Second World War. The Netherlands and WWII: Early Days When the war began in September 1939 the Netherlands declared themselves neutral. Yet, despite this declaration. the Germans invaded on May 10th 1940. The reason for Germany's invasion, which included seizing Belgium and Luxemburg, was part of a bigger military scheme named the Fall Gelb. This main objective of this plan was to conquer France by attacking it on two fronts, the North, for which they needed to pass through and occupy the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, and the South, which was accomplished with the aide of Italy. The Netherlands tried to stand their ground but the superior German forces quickly overran them and pushed the Dutch resistance back to Rotterdam. Here the Dutch were able to force the Germans into a stalemate. In an attempt to force Dutch surrender Germany threatened to bomb the city. Rotterdam Bombing Around 13:30 in the afternoon 90 bombers flew towards the city. At that moment, the Dutch and Germans were still negotiating possible terms. German General Schmidt noticed the bombers heading towards the city and ordered red flares to be shot into the air, a signal meaning the mission was to be aborted. However the formation of the attack meant that not all planes came from the same direction. As a result not all pilots saw the flares and dropped their bombs. The attack lasted thirteen minutes and during that time 97.000 kilo of explosives were dropped on the city centre. The city was on fire and burned for days. The aftermath The bombing cost nearly 900 people their lives and over 85.000 people became homeless. More than 25.000 homes and over 4000 businesses were destroyed. A few buildings, such as city hall, the Lawrence Church and the Erasmushouse, remained standing despite the bombing and the fires that followed. After the destruction and surrender of Rotterdam Germany issued another ultimatum. Other major cities such as The Hague and Utrecht were facing the same fate if the Dutch continued to resist German forces. The Dutch government saw no option but to surrender. And on May 15 1940 the Netherlands capitulated to Germany. Strategy or Misfortune Why the order to abort the mission was given so late remains a controversial topic. Rotterdam was an important target, as a major industrial city and a city of strategic significance. And thus it was vital that Germany seized, or destroy, it to ensure their plan to occupy the Netherlands was to succeed. Therefore the timing of the order raises the question whether Germany had intended to bomb the city no matter the outcome of the negotiations. Rotterdam rebuild Within days people began to clean up the city and much of the materials such as stone and iron were reused to rebuild the city. With the city’s need to be rebuild from the ground the opportunity presented itself to address many of the problems Rotterdam had been facing. In historical turned industrial city many challenges had presented themselves over the previous years, included overcrowded neighborhoods and a poor and outdated infrastructure. Thus instead of rebuilding the city that was the decision was made to build a city with an eye to the future. Within ten years the city, and its famed harbor, were once again flourishing. In the 21st century Rotterdam is a city unlike any other Dutch city. It no longer has the historical city centre that characterize so many other Dutch cities and is the most 'modern' city in the Netherlands with high-rises and a skyline to rival New York's. As Rotterdam architect Kees Christiaanse once put it: Rotterdam did indeed resemble an American provincial city. You could drive leisurely in a big car through the broad streets and revel in the contrasts between emptiness and density. The Rotterdam police drove around in huge Chevrolets…and the Witte Huis was the first high-rise building in Europe with a Chicago-type of steel skeleton and a ceramics façade. (1) The city is ever changing and growing. And it has become known for its modern architecture. However the past will never be forgotten and all through the city markers can be found on the ground. They mark the "brandgrens", the border of the old city centre which was lost to the bombs and flames. The marking of this border was completed in 2010 and every year on May 14 the markers are lit to commemorate the occasion. References: # Christiaanse, Kees (2012), ''Rotterdam, ''Rotterdam: 101 Publishers